Satsuki was stunned. Although she had already prepared for the worst in her heart and had prepared the decision to "even if she was rejected, she would use force to make him agree", but the answer Naruto gave, no, this was more like a request, was completely beyond her expectations, and her brain couldn't process it for a while.
future? save??
The combination of these words formed a wonderful response that she had never imagined, neither acceptance nor rejection, full of commitment but requiring waiting.
"Um...Naruto... can... can you be more specific?"
Satsuki's voice was full of uncertainty and cautious testing. She needed to understand the meaning of Naruto's words more clearly, fearing that she might get the wrong meaning and be overjoyed.
Naruto Looking at her expression of expectation and fear of being hurt, he nodded vigorously and explained in the clearest possible language.
"I want to reserve the future of Satsuki. I want to be... the most special and important existence for Satsuki. It is the only existence."
"Special memory... refers to..." Satsuki's heartbeat began to beat uncontrollably again, and she needed to hear the most accurate definition.
Naruto's cheeks were also slightly red, and he was a little embarrassed, but his eyes did not dodge at all, and he said it bluntly, "It's... the kind that Satsuki is thinking in his heart. It's the kind of person who wants to spend time with Satsuki in the future."
Let's spend time together!
These four words hit Satsuki's heart hard, making her breath short for an instant. There is no doubt that this is the answer she most wants to get from Naruto, and it is the final form of all her dreams!
However, because of this ecstasy, there is also a hint of anxiety and dissatisfaction caused by "waiting".
Why wait? Why the future? I want this kind of relationship now! I want to confirm now! This feeling of urgency almost blurted out.
But in the end, the words of questioning were still firmly suppressed in her throat. Because in any case, the answer given by Naruto is not the worst answer. On the contrary, it is a good promise.
As a result, Satsuki's brain began to work rapidly, and he began to interpret and deeply "map interpretation" the intention behind Naruto's words.
First of all, when faced with the heavy feelings that he had always feared would make him feel stressed or even bored, Naruto not only did not escape, but actually expressed it clearly - having this relationship made him feel super happy. This directly dispelled Satsuki's biggest uneasiness.
Secondly, Naruto said that Satsuki's feelings are "too important", so they cannot make an agreement "rashly". This sounds less like a perfunctory excuse and more like an emphasis.
He regards "like" as an extremely precious treasure that needs to be treated seriously, rather than as a light word that can be said casually.
The most important thing is... he is actively planning "forever". What he thinks about is not "starting falling in love now", but "a future together."
Naruto is a blueprint for building a community together, not just enjoying the throbbing of youth. This... this perfectly coincides with Satsuki's core dream of "being together forever"!
Seeing Satsuki lower his head again, Naruto said quickly, a little anxiously, "Satsuki, please, this is my only request, just wait a few more years!"
For Naruto with mature souls, major personal decisions such as falling in love and committing to spending time together should at least wait until both parties are mentally mature, independent, and can truly take responsibility for their own and each other's future before solemn confirmation and commitment can be made.
This is almost a deep-rooted common sense about "responsibility" and "responsibility".
However, the Ninja World he is currently in is a world where common sense is completely illogical and can even be called a deformity.
In this world distorted by war, hatred and the supremacy of power, the so-called "childhood" and "normal growth trajectory" are often luxuries.
In the most extreme and darkest period, its cruelty even forced a 5-year-old child to pick up Kunai and step onto the battlefield, struggling to survive in blood and fire, and prematurely tasting the cruelty of the world between life and death.
Therefore, in this world, the mental age and understanding of "big things" of Ninja, who is as old as Satsuki, have long been far beyond the scope of their peers in peacetime.
For her, it is not incomprehensible to identify a person, desire to establish a strong connection with that person, and take action or even pursue it paranoidly.
This fundamental difference in cognition makes the "preservation" and "waiting" proposed by Naruto out of responsibility and cherishment. In the eyes of Satsuki and most people in this world, it may itself carry an incomprehensible delay and uncertainty, and may even be misunderstood as a euphemistic avoidance.
However...
"... Pfft."
Facing Naruto showing such a pleading and even humble look in front of him, Satsuki couldn't help but chuckle. The light laughter instantly broke the somewhat overly serious atmosphere in front of him.
"Idiot..." She lowered her head slightly, letting her bangs cover her blushing cheeks again, with helpless doting and complaining in her voice, "Always... say something that no one can refuse..."
She was very clear in her heart - she could never refuse any request from Naruto... except for the only one, to keep her away from him.
"Satsuki, you agreed!" Naruto looked at her smile and tone, and was immediately overjoyed, and felt relieved Taiseki.
"Well... it's——!" Satsuki suddenly raised his head and his voice suddenly rose, startling Naruto who had just relaxed.
I saw a faint smile on Satsuki's face, but it was different from any smile before.
That smile was beautiful, just like Youtan Sun blooming under the moon, but there was a faint and dangerous atmosphere in it that made people feel heart-stopping. This is the first time Naruto has seen [Satsuki smile like this, beautiful and aggressive.
"Naruto, you must promise me one thing." Satsuki continued, with an unquestionable tone, "This is the 'price' you must pay for asking me for 'save' and 'time'."
The smile on her face became more beautiful and more dangerous.
"From today on, I will remember the passage of time day by day, second by second... patiently (maybe not so patiently) waiting for the day in the future..."
But his heart couldn't really calm down at all. Satsuki silently said these unspoken words in his heart.
She knew that her feelings for Naruto in her heart would never stop growing for the sake of "preservation". Instead, they would grow and grow deeper and stronger with each day's anticipation and proximity. To be honest, even now, she always wants to turn Naruto into "her own thing" immediately.
Now... when the promised day comes in the future, even she herself cannot predict to what extent the accumulated obsession and love in her heart will expand. And she didn't intend to do any suppression.
"So," Satsuki took a step forward, raised his head slightly and looked at Naruto, his dark eyes flashing with a paranoid light, "When that day really comes... I won't wait a day longer."
"So... at that moment, no matter what I do to you, no matter what I ask of you, Naruto, you must accept it all without any disobedience or hesitation."
"Now," she tilted her head slightly, the dangerous and beautiful smile on her face remained, but she offered a choice that was close to an ultimatum, "Tell me your answer. Accept this 'price', or..."
"... I will let you see with your own eyes now what the consequences of 'unsaveable' will look like."
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